Safety and security Essay Example for Free

Safety and security Essay Amateur sport is geared around participation and voluntary clubs. As land and buildings are expensive, many clubs use facilities provided by Local Authorities. Many outdoor sports clubs have their own facilities although there is an even greater number of players who use recreation grounds. There are about 78,000 pitches in the country. Thirty years ago amateur sport was largely centred on outdoor team games. Competitive sport means participation and developing skills and there is a sizeable industry for coaches and instructors. Despite its profile, competitive sport is on the decline and organisations like Sport England are concerned that as a nation we are losing our sporting skills and becoming less fit and healthy. For example, many governing bodies have big school-based programmes, and Local Authorities will run schemes in deprived areas where people cannot afford to play sport or go to health suites. Outdoor Activities-there are over a thousand centres in the UK which specialise in providing outdoor adventure holidays. Facility provision is also essential for outdoor sports, meaning the upkeep of the environment, and this is regulated by the organisations under the Countryside Agency umbrella, such as the Forestry Commission, Local Authorities or National Trust. For most participants activity in the natural world is occasional, and more time will be spent in training in built facilities such as pools or climbing walls. Profitable areas such as skiing, sailing, private sector companies are the main providers. Health and Fitness- there are now at least 2,500 private health and fitness clubs in the UK- it is a boom industry that many young people see as the exciting place to work in leisure. Private sector will increasingly dominate the market and eventually also manage and invest in public sector facilities on behalf of Local Authorities.  The central product of these clubs is the fitness room consisting of cardiovascular equipment and perhaps free weights, and frequently areas with small pools, jacuzzis and saunas.. Heritage and visitor attractions The heritage industry concerns buildings and materials that have historical value. Thirty years ago these were largely stately homes, castles, ruins such as Stonehenge and battlefields. Heritage was often about how the rich and famous had lived or what they had collected, or about culture(e.g. Shakespeare). Now it has expanded to include a much wider interpretation of historical value. Many heritage sites are owned by Trusts and limited companies that have been set up to manage individual sites, while many stately homes are owned and run by two big organisations: Museums-are not usually run by the private sector, largely because of high costs. Many museums started life as private collections which were later donated to the nation or the local community.  Libraries-apart from their lending their services which we will look at later, they are largely involved in the heritage sector. They have a back-room role of collecting important documents including maps, and making these available to the public. This is known as the records and archives service. Catering Leisure catering includes pubs and clubs, restaurants, cafes and takeaways. Its firmly placed in the private sector with some exceptions. A catering company provides a service according to the specification of the client and often under the clients name. Many leisure centres and theatres buy in service in this way.  The catering sector has various components that make eating out an enjoyable experience: the provision of food and drink; entertainment, such as jazz at Pizza Express, games; and security in the form of door staff. Eating out is an increasingly important and available leisure experience. The fast-food business is booming with a growth rate of 30 per cent. This growth is at the expense of takeaways and cafes, and especially of pubs and clubs. Fast food tends to be run by chains that can make economies of scale by producing the same product in each outlet. Many breweries have followed this trend and operate chains like Harvester restaurants within their pubs. In contrast cafes, restaurants and takeaways tend to be run and owned by family businesses. Countryside recreation The countryside is the natural, national playground and one which is used by walkers, ramblers and those involved in more active outdoor activities. A survey in 1998 by the National Centre for Social Research showed that 1,427 million day visits to the countryside were made and a further 241 million to the coast.  Like any leisure facility such usage will have an impact which in turn will lessen, and even threaten, the leisure experience itself. Organisations working in countryside recreation are therefore primarily stewards who maintain, manage and regulate the environment and also produce information and education. An important organisation funded by the Countryside Commission is the National Parks Authority. This is responsible for the regulation and interpretative service inside twelve National Parks, which are designated areas of significant natural beauty and wilderness. The Local Authority has a part to play in managing and regulating country parks. In many cases it also own s the land and will act as landlord to any tenants in the park, such as farmers. Home-based leisure This is cheap, easy and relaxing. The equipment most popularly used are: radios, videos, TV sets, gardening materials and home fitness machines is normally provided by the private sector. The main exceptions are the library lending services in the public sector. Except for broadcasting this component is retail based.  As the internet is more widely used, shopping for leisure on the net is likely to increase. Free services like Tesco mean more people are using the net.

Anthony Davis Essay Example for Free

Anthony Davis Essay My research is on the subject of Anthony Davis Jr. He was born on March 11, 1993. He was born in Chicago; Illinois. Davis is the son of Anthony Davis Sr. and Erainer Davis. He has a twin sister, Antoinette and an older sister, Iesha who also plays basketball at Daley College. He attended Perspectives charter since the sixth grade. He is a freshman that attends Kentucky State University. He was voted â€Å"National Player of the Year,† and â€Å"2012 SEC Newcomer of the Year. † Davis is very committed to his team who is coached by John Calipari; he was being mentioned as the NBA draft first overall selection in the 2012 NBA Draft. His team plays in the SEC (Southeastern conference). He plays forward-center and is number 23 on the Kentucky Wildcats. His team won the 2012 NCAA championship.Anthony is a tremendous shot blocker with great size and length. He can make 3-pointers, dribble the ball and he can get up and down the court faster than some of our guards because of his long, looping strides. Hes a different player than Marcus Camby, but hes physically ahead of where Marcus was to start his freshman season. Head coach John Calipari. Davis was named as one of the finalists for the 2012 Olympic basketball team. Davis would be the first American player since Emeka Okafor (2004 Athens Games) to have competed in the Olympics without any NBA experience. On October 20, 2011, Davis was one of three Kentucky Wildcats named to the 12-man pre-season watch list for the 2012 Wayman Tisdale Award. In late February, Dick Vitale mentioned that it could be possible that Davis might complete the mens college basketball awards Grand Slam of National Player of the Year, No.1 Overall Pick in the Upcoming Draft, Defensive Player of the Year, and Freshman of the Year. He was the second freshman to receive the MVP award.

Strategies for Market Research

Strategies for Market Research Marketing is a business discipline undertaken for one sole purpose, to enable sale of their product and service to consumers. The consumer behaviour is the study of how consumers interact with their surrounding environment when purchasing or disposing off the product. It forms the basis of marketing psychology i.e. why a person chooses one alternative over the other. The increasing competition and cultural shifts in societies across the globe have made marketing a challenging task. Therefore, marketers must strive to understand consumer’s behaviour and the drivers behind such behaviour in order to serve them well. Focus should be on varied factors like consumer attitude, buying habits, the colours they like, the tastes they prefer and so on. This study of consumer behaviour is critical to the success of businesses today and is the basic purpose of the practice of market research. As per advertising guru David Ogilvy negligence of research in business is like ignoring decodes of enemy signals in a war. He recognized that people who enter the market without proper research face the risk of their hard work being blown up by the winds of change. In his book he has discussed the value of market research which can get information on expected consumer response to a product way before they are launched in the market thus saving millions. Companies like proctor and gamble (PG) and Unilever realized this way before than others which added to their competitive advantage. Nowadays whether you are a manufacturer, a retailer, an MNC or a local store, consumer market research is inevitable in order for the business to succeed. This is the primary reason behind the phenomenal rise of market research agencies in the last few decades. Qualitative Market Research Talking about market research, the most emerging practice now days is qualitative market research. Qualitative market research is the technique of market research that involves observation, analysis and interpretation of behaviour of a small number of people in their natural setting. The researchers ask broad open ended questions and collect descriptive data from participants. Unlike quantitative market research, where the focus is on finding trends and doing prediction, qualitative market research focuses on explaining behaviour. It helps in providing more in-depth understanding of human behaviour and the reasons that govern such behaviour (why and how). The three most commonly used techniques are: Focus Group Discussions, In depth interviews (on one to one basis), and Observing participants in their natural environment i.e. Ethnography. Out of these, focus group discussions are of the most common type. So much so that they have become synonymous with the term qualitative market research. Focus Group Discussions (FGDs) Focus group discussion was one of the foremost qualitative research tools available to the practitioners. It involves group of people sitting in an interview like setting. A typical focus group consists of 6-10 people who are unrelated to each other. They are brought together by a moderator. In the field ofmarketing, focus groups are used as an important tool for acquiring consumer feedback. People are asked open ended questions about their attitude, values, beliefs and perceptions towards a particular product, brand, advertisement, concept or packaging. This technique capitalizes on the inter-personal communication amongst participants to generate data. This means that instead of asking one to one questions, the researcher throws the topic of discussion to the group and encourages them to share their ideas and opinions and counter question each other’s experiences. Following steps are involved in focus group discussions: Set the objectives: The purpose of the study needs to be clear and specific. The more well defined the objective, easier the execution and analysis. Identify information needs: It involves decision upon what clients already know and what questions needs to be answered, what hypothesis is to be set regarding attitudes and motives and on what topics feedback is required. Identify participants: This involves decisions as to number of participants required, preferred characteristics of the participants and the method of recruiting them. Generate questions: A list of open ended questions needs to be kept handy. For e.g. instead of asking â€Å"do you like this packaging?† the moderator shall ask, â€Å"What do you think about this packaging?† Select moderator: The moderator should be a knowledgeable person with regard to the issue in hand. Also, he should be able to deal tactfully with the participants, keep the discussion on the right track and free from any bias and preconceived notion. Select the venue: The venue for the focus group study should be able to accommodate 5 to 15 people easily. Also, it should be easily accessible for the participants. A well selected venue also helps in encouraging conversation (cozy, inviting etc). Moderate groups: The moderator will ensure the discussion keeps flowing in the right direction, probe respondents and draw out important questions. Analyze and prepare reports: After thorough review of tapes recorded and notes taken, a written summary of results is submitted to the clients. Focus group discussions as a technique is most suited in the situations where opinions and attitudes of consumers are conditional to the purpose of study. It is also suited in new areas of research. However, caution should be taken when the discussion could become emotionally sensitive or where confidentiality of information could be compromised. The advantages of focus group discussions are in abundance. This method is extremely useful for bringing out the unanticipated reactions from the participants giving information about not only what behaviour people execute, but also how and why people behave so. Due to this reason, it can also be used as an effective social research tool in case of children or adults who are less literate. Thus, focus groups help in providing information about why or how a person holds certain beliefs about a topic or program of interest. It is a powerful social research tool and can provide high quality and validated data from the real consumers and that too in a cost efficient manner than if individuals were interviewed separately. It also adds flexibility to the research process with research having control to take the discussion in the right direction .Thus focus groups help to improve planning, implementation as well as evaluation of marketing strategies. The technique also suffers from some limitations. First, groups may be difficult to assemble or may vary considerably. As the group interaction forms the basis for focus group discussions, the information so provided can only be used at group level and not individually. Also, the people representing the consumers in the focus group setting might not be an exhaustive representation of the population at large. There is also the risk of moderator being less knowledgeable or biased towards a particular opinion. However, with necessary precautions focus group studies act as one of the most efficient social research tools. In-Depth Interviews (IDIs) In-depth face to face interviews use intensive one to one discussions with a small number of people. They are executed as confidential one to one conversations between researcher and participant. This method is suitable where the purpose of the study is to get exhaustive and precise answers from individuals regarding their motives and experiences which focus group studies and quantitative techniques cannot encompass. The method is also suitable where if the issue in hand is sensitive or controversial. Also, interviewing community leaders can provide a quick overview of needs and concerns of the respective communities. In the world of marketing, in-depth interviews are used usually in the initial strategies namelyto evaluate a new packaging, a new product concept, advertisement idea and so on. The in-depth interview is usually conducted in private surroundings of the participant so as to keep him comfortable in his or her natural settings. The average duration of the interview ranges from 1.5 to 2 hours and is usually recorded for post interview analysis. Following are the stages in the interview process. While focus group discussion is essentially a group behaviour technique, in depth interviews allow researchers to study opinions and behavior of participants individually. Also, in-depth interviews provide an opportunity to probe deeper into issues and get rich data. Ethnography Ethnography finds its origins in anthropology. In simple words ethnography is study of human beings in their natural environment and culture. The researcher submerges himself in the diverse and unfamiliar cultures and makes a rapport with the local population to understand their value system. This is done through active participation in day to day rituals such as cooking, eating, sleeping and shopping and close observation of people’s attitudes, perceptions, beliefs and customs. In marketing context, ethnography helps in understanding customer point of view. While focus group discussions and surveys provide self reporting data, ethnographic studies provide observational picture of consumers engaged in their day to day lives. It therefore, answers the latent reasons (why) behind consumer behaviour in particular communities. Once the facts are revealed, the information is then translated into marketing recommendations for the clients. The basic reasoning behind ethnography is that life and decision making process are more complicated than the marketing models. Ethnography can be undertaken at any time of the day in shopping malls, theatres, restaurants, stations, bus, colleges, schools or even on street. Now days, it can also be undertaken online by tracking down the images and posts shared by people on social media. Ethnography can be good to bring innovation in marketing strategies and foresee where a brand can expand into. For instance marketers of a well known brand of washing machines were surprised to find that their product was actually being used to make Lassi an Indian refreshing drink in state of Punjab, India. Another ethnographic study in Europe revealed that consumers use mobile to check their bank balance as a habit and not just in emergencies. This provided financial companies important stimuli to restructure their mobile banking marketing mechanism. Qualitative over Quantitative Market Research Quantitative market research is the mathematical part of the market research. It uses statistical models and theories to indicate results. They conduct research with the help of structured questionnaires and surveys and use a standardized set of questions for each individual. This facilitates accuracy and comparability in data sets. Qualitative research on the other hand aims at identifying factors that cannot be quantified such as culture , socio economic norms , role of gender , psychological barriers etc. it thus tries to fill the gaps left by quantitative market research. In short, while quantitative market research quantifies variations in data that determine varied consumer actions, qualitative research seeks to identify reasons behind such factors. When companies undertake qualitative market research, they usually expect a number of substantive advantages. Following are some advantages of qualitative market research over quantitative market research: They help in understanding the reasons (why and how) behind a certain behavioural action. Studies intangible factors that are responsible for changes in consumer behaviour thus providing a holistic view. For e.g. psychological factors such as perceptions, motivation and learning can only be understood using qualitative market research. They stimulate new dynamic thinking amongst participants and helps in evoking emotions and unadulterated latent reactions from the participants for better insights. It adds flexibility to the research process. There are no structured yes and no questions. Participants are encouraged to provide their opinions and understanding. Studies like ethnography are done in the natural environment of consumers, thus, providing a realistic picture and first hand information on issues concerned. The information from in-depth interviews is very rich and detailed. Thus, qualitative market research provides marketers with insights into drivers of consumer behaviour, purchasing habits and other opportunities for innovative product development and sustained competitive advantage. We can safely say that qualitative market research is surely here to stay and as the competition sores, is going to gain more importance. This is why there is an unprecedented rise in qualitative market research agencies. Also, many global companies like Unilever, PG, and ITC have already brought on board anthropologists in their marketing department. With growing innovation in the field, numerous other examples of qualitative research techniques available for practice in future are online focus groups, bulletin boards and so on. With the insights so gained using qualitative market research methodologies, marketers become well versed with the consumer behaviour patterns. The importance of understanding such consumer behaviour by marketers is that it enables them to gain knowledge about needs and attitudes of their target market. Infact, almost all the marketing decisions taken by the management are based on the knowledge and predictions about consumer behaviour. Conducting market research is a complicated and technical process. However, understanding it is critical for marketers in particular and business at large. It enables them to design efficient marketing strategies for particular market segment and it is more likely that the message developed for the target market will be delivered in a desired manner to the correct audience. For instance, by finding out that consumers are more receptive to food advertising when they are hungry, companies can schedule there advertisements in late afternoons. It thus hel ps to provide better product satisfaction, improve brand image and create competitive edge in the market. Hence, qualitative market research answers the threats posed by the uncertainties of consumer behaviour. It therefore provides solution to one of the biggest challenge of marketing in particular and of business management at large.

Everyday Use by Alice Walker Essay -- Every Day Use Alice Walker

Everyday Use by Alice Walker In the story 'Everyday Use', by Alice Walker, the value of ones culture and heritage are defined as a part of life that should not be looked upon as history but as a living existence of the past. Walker writes of the conflict between two Black cultures. Dee and Maggie are sisters whom do not share the same ideals. Mama is torn between two children with different perspectives of what life truly means. In the story, Walker describes the trial and tribulations of one daughter whose whole life is tormented by fear, failure and weakness; while the other "has held life always in the palm of one hand"(61) and moves to a better lifestyle. The possessions of the past will ultimately change the relationships of the future. "Maggie will be nervous until after her sister goes: she will stand hopelessly in corners, homely and ashamed of the burn scars down her arms and legs, eying her sister with a mixture of envy and awe."(61) She is afraid of being weak and unable to project her happiness with the life she has chosen. Maggie attempts to remain quiet and reserved during the visit of her sister. The difference of their lifestyle interpretations is one of humble to extravagant. Unlike other young women, Maggie continues to live in an un-educated world where happiness is formed in the heart, not with possessions. Dee, (Wangero) is a self ? centered young woman who ?manages? to come for a visit. Unlike Maggie, she is not living her cu...

Tom and Huck Dont Live Here Anymore Essay -- essays research papers

What went wrong in America’s Hometown? Two murders within 6 weeks from each other committed by teenagers is a major problem presented in the heart of America. When Ron Powers heard of these crimes, one happening in his hometown, Hannibal, MO, his eyes were opened to this problem of today’s children and traveled back to find out just what went wrong. Growing up in Hannibal, considered by many to be ‘America’s Hometown’, the author never experienced greed, hate, or envy as a child. The most responsibility he had was being a traffic officer and save children from getting hit by passing cars as they crossed the street. What baffles Ron Powers is what has happened to today’s youth, what has changed in the way children are raised these days that create this loss of innocence, which is why he set out to try and find out what happened through interviews in Hannibal. I feel he successfully expresses his ideals on society through memories of his own compared to the two recent murders and everything he finds out through the interviewing.   Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Tom and Huck Don’t Live Here Anymore: Childhood Murders in the Heart of America is about Ron Power’s reaction to the two murders in 6 weeks. He travels back to Hannibal to piece together what reasons were behind the reckless brutality of the children murderers. He begins with character development, explaining who these children were and the events pieced together of what they have done, along with a brief history of e...

Freedmans Bureau :: essays research papers

The Freedman’s Bureau   Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  The Freedman’s Bureau was set up after the Civil War even though it went against three main traditional values of the time. The first being limited government, which mean that the government could and could not do certain things. It also was the basis for the idea of the government’s power being limited. The second was sanctity of private property. At this time you made your own money to buy land and it was your land that no one could take away from you. The government did not give handouts. The last was self-help, which meant that if you had problems, and then you and only you solved them. It also made the people question welfare, unemployment, and government aid, and their simple solution was not to have it.   Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  The bureau however had its success and failures contrary to these fundamental ideas. One of the main successes was the education program that the bureau set up. By 1870 there were over 150,000 African American’s enrolled in these schools. Many of the schools set up still stand and educate many today even. Three of the main failures of the bureau came about because of the hatred in the south, and the anti-black attitude. The first being the land that was supposed to be given to the freed men after the civil war, never happened because the land was given back to the plantation owners. The second was the labor contracts, they began as a good idea, but the contracts were often unfair. They were set up to determine wages, clothing, and medical care, often it was made to be worse than slavery was. The final unsuccessful part was the judicial system of the bureau. Over time it became rather unfair and was the main cause for the labor contracts to be so harsh. The other blame of the failure can be linked to the attitude of southerners.   Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  The southerners did not see blacks as equals. They would fight to the end to keep the blacks lower than them.

Novel by Haruki Murakami Essay

The short story â€Å"On Seeing the 100% Perfect Girl One Beautiful April Morning† by Haruki Murakami connects with the reader through the idea that you can encounter true love by chance. Unfortunately, that chance can get away from you without any real action from yourself. The story is set in Tokyo in 1981 on what is described as a beautiful April morning. It sounds like a regular day, what made it beautiful for the main character was that he saw the girl that was 100% perfect girl for him. The methods of fiction help us better understand and connect to stories. The narration is done in the first and third person points of view. The first person point of view inserts the reader into the situation, making the story very personal. The third person narrative gives a different, larger perspective on the story and gives us more of an insight into the concept of chance. From a characterization stand point the main character is portrayed as a regular person and really only encounters a regular girl but in his eyes, she is really more like a girl from another world. There is one other person in the story but only provides a little bit of dialogue and is not developed at all. The third person narrative develops the two different main characters in ways first person does not. The overall tone of the story is somber. The idea of once having your true love so close then letting â€Å"fate† run its course only to never feel the same way again is depressing As a whole, this story connects the reader to an event that many have probably encountered in their life; seeing the perfect person, just for a second but not taking action. We go on with our lives and think nothing of it but this story delves a bit deeper into a possible scenario connecting the two people. In the end however, the characters still lose each other.